The lecture by Stefan Pfenninger from ETH Zürich will take place at the Complexity Science Hub Vienna in Room 201.
If you are interested in participating, please email to office@csh.ac.at
Abstract:
If average global warming is to be contained below 2°C, greenhouse gas emissions from the energy sector must be eliminated by mid-century. Wind and solar photovoltaics provide a large untapped resource and have experienced rapid cost reductions. They are thus poised to form the backbone of a clean energy system. However, questions remain about how to integrate them into a stable, affordable and sustainable energy system at scales ranging from cities to continents, in particular due to their weather-dependency, the resulting requirements to spread them spatially, and the additional technologies like electricity storage needed for their integration. This presentation will provide an overview of ongoing work to model these technologies and their integration into the energy system, and the key open challenges to successfully manage the renewable energy transition.